10 Best Sights in Eastern Paris, Paris

The once-forgotten canal has morphed into one of the city's trendiest places to wander. A good time to come is Sunday afternoon, when the Quai de Valmy is closed to cars and some of the shops are open. Rent a bike at any of the many Vélib' stations, stroll along the banks, or go local and cuddle quayside in the sunshine with someone special.

In 1802 Napoléon ordered the 4.3-km (2.7-mile) canal dug as a source of clean drinking water after cholera and other epidemics swept the city. When it finally opened 23 years later, it extended north from the Seine at Place de la Bastille to the Canal de l'Ourcq, near La Villette. Baron Haussmann later covered a 1.6-km (1-mile) stretch of it, along today's Boulevard Richard Lenoir. It nearly became a highway in the 1970s, before the city's urban planners regained their senses. These days you can take a boat tour from end to end through the canal's nine locks: along the way, the bridges swing or lift open. The drawbridge with four giant pulleys at Rue de Crimée, near La Villette, was a technological marvel when it debuted in 1885. In recent years gentrification has transformed the once-dodgy canal, with artists taking over former industrial spaces and creating studios and galleries. The bar and restaurant scene is hipster central, and small designers have arrived, fleeing expensive rents in the Marais. Canauxrama ( www.canauxrama.com) offers 2½-hour boat cruises through the locks (€25). Embarkation is at each end of the canal: at Bassin de la Villette or Port de l'Arsenal.

Bring a red rose for "the Little Sparrow" Edith Piaf when you visit the cobblestone avenues and towering trees that make this 118-acre oasis of green perhaps the world's most famous cemetery. Named for Père François de la Chaise, Louis XIV's confessor, Père-Lachaise is more than just a who's who of celebrities. The Paris Commune's final battle took place here on May 28, 1871, when 147 rebels were lined up and shot against the Mur des Fédérés (Federalists' Wall) in the southeast corner. Aside from the sheer aesthetic beauty of the cemetery, the main attraction is what (or who, more accurately) is belowground.

Two of the biggest draws are Jim Morrison's grave (with its own guard to keep Doors fans under control) and the life-size bronze figure of French journalist Victor Noir, whose alleged fertility-enhancing power accounts for the patches of bronze rubbed smooth by hopeful hands. Other significant grave sites include those of 12th-century French philosopher Pierre Abélard and his lover Héloïse; French writers Colette, Honoré de Balzac, and Marcel Proust; American writers Richard Wright, Gertrude Stein, and Alice B. Toklas; Irish writer Oscar Wilde; French actress Sarah Bernhardt; French composer Georges Bizet; Greek American opera singer Maria Callas; Franco-Polish composer Frédéric Chopin; painters of various nationalities including Georges-Pierre Seurat, Camille Pissaro, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Jacques-Louis David, Eugène Delacroix, Théodore Géricault, Amedeo Clemente Modigliani, and Max Ernst; French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli; French civic planner Baron Haussmann; French playwright and actor Molière; and French singer Edith Piaf. (To visit the grave sites of a few other famous French men and women, head south to Cimetière du Montparnasse, north to Cimetière de Montmartre, or west to Passy Cemetery.)

One of the best days to visit is on All Saints' Day (November 1), when Parisians bring flowers to adorn the graves of loved ones or favorite celebrities.  Pinpoint grave sites on the website before you come, but buy a map anyway outside the entrances—you'll still get lost, but that's part of the fun.

An abandoned iron foundry in the hip 11e arrondissement is the soaring backdrop for Culturespace's feast for the eyes and the senses, where visitors are invited to actually step into the midst of some of the great masterpieces of 19th- and 20th-century painting (many found in famous Parisian museums). More than 100 video projectors cast vivid scenes of gorgeously colored artwork on the walls, ceilings, and floors, accompanied by a dynamic soundtrack for total immersion into a 30-minute explosion of color and sound.

Like the Bois de Boulogne to the west, this much-loved retreat on the city's eastern border was landscaped by Napoléon III. Its roots, however, reach back to the 13th century, when Philippe Auguste created a hunting preserve in the shadow of the royal Château de Vincennes, which once ranked as the largest château in Europe. In 1731 Louis XV created a public park here, and the bois (or woods) now features a Japanese garden, La Grande Pagode (a Buddhist temple containing the largest golden statue of the Buddha in Europe), and the exquisite Parc Floral, with acres of flower gardens, a huge kids' park, and summertime jazz and classical concerts. Horse races at the restored Vincennes Hippodrome de Paris are an event for the whole family, but perhaps not the Espace Naturiste, Paris's first area for nudists, opened in 2017. Rowboats are for rent at a pair of lakes: Lac Daumesnil, which has two islands, and Lac des Minimes, which has three. For the kids, there are pony rides, a miniature train, and numerous play areas. Here, too, you'll find the stunning Palais de la Porte Dorée, home to an immigration museum and tropical aquarium. Through late summer, the Parc Floral hosts two beloved music festivals, the Paris Jazz Festival and the Festival Classique au Vert. Grab a picnic and a blanket and enjoy classical music or jazz in the amphitheater or on the lawn in Paris's prettiest park.

This imposing high-walled château, on the northern edge of the Bois de Vincennes, was France's medieval version of Versailles. Built and expanded by various kings between the 12th and 14th centuries, it is now surrounded by a dry moat and dominated by a 170-foot keep, the last of nine original towers. The royal residence eventually became a prison holding, notably, convicts of both sexes—and "the doors did not always remain closed between them," as one tour guide coyly put it. Inmates included the philosopher Diderot and the Marquis de Sade, and the alleged spy Mata Hari was executed in its dry moat bed. Both the château and its cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle—designed in the style of the Paris church of the same name—have been restored to their previous glory. If you speak French, the free 90-minute tour is worthwhile; otherwise, consider spending €3 for the English audioguide. The entrance to the lovely Parc Floral de Paris is just behind the château.

Once a train line from the Paris suburbs to Bastille, this redbrick viaduct (often referred to as Le Viaduc des Arts) is now one of the park highlights of the unpretentious 12e arrondissement. The rails have been transformed into a 4½-km (3-mile) walkway lined with trees, bamboo, and flower gardens, offering a bird's-eye view of the stately Haussmannian buildings along Avenue Daumesnil. Below, the voûtes (arcades) have been transformed by the city into artisan boutiques, many focused on decor and design. There are also temporary galleries showcasing art and photography. The Promenade, which gained fame as a setting in the 2004 film Before Sunset, was the inspiration for New York's High Line. It ends at the Bastille. From there, you can continue your walk to the Bois de Vincennes. If you're hungry, grab a bite at L'Arrosoir, a cozy café under the viaduct ( 75 av. Daumesnil).

Le Centquatre (meaning "104") takes its name from its address in a rough-around-the-edges corner of the 19e arrondissement, near Parc de la Villette. The former site of the city morgue, this soaring art hub is home to an offbeat collection of performance venues, shops, and studios (artists of all genres compete for free studio space, and sometimes you can get a peek of them at work). Contemporary art exhibits, some of which charge a small admission, are presented here, as are all manner of concerts, dance performances, performance art, films, and other events, many of them interactive. On-site you'll also find a restaurant, a café, a bookstore, a vintage shop, and a play area for children. There's much to see and do here for the whole family, so check the website before you visit to confirm what's on.

Place d'Aligre has two of Paris's best markets: the lively outdoor Marché d'Aligre and the covered Marché Beauvau. Open every day but Monday, both are great places to pick up picnic essentials, which you can enjoy nearby in the small park at Square Trousseau or on the Promenade Plantée. The picturesque outdoor market has dozens of boisterous vendors, their stands laden with fresh fruits and vegetables, flower bouquets, and regional products such as jam, honey, and dried sausage. Many vendors are happy to give you a taste of whatever they're selling. The covered Marché Beauvau stocks everything from cheeses and olive oil to brewed-in-Paris craft beer. Sunday morning, when the accompanying flea market is in full swing, is the liveliest time to visit. Stop for a plate of fresh oysters, charcuterie, and a glass of rouge (even on Sunday morning) at one of the city's quirkiest wine bars, Le Baron Rouge ( 1 rue Théophile Roussel), or one of the many chic cafés in the neighborhood.

Designed by architect Carlos Ott and inaugurated in 1989, this mammoth ultramodern facility long ago took over the role of Paris's main opera house from the Opéra Garnier (although both operate under the same Opéra de Paris umbrella). The fabulous acoustics of the steeply sloping, stylish auditorium have earned more plaudits than the modern facade. Like the building, performances tend to be on the avant-garde side. Tickets for Opéra de Paris productions run €15–€230 and generally go on sale at the box office a month before shows, earlier by phone and online. Once the doors open, "standing places" can be purchased for €10 from vending machines in the lobby, but you'll need coins or a credit card (no bills) and patience to snag one, as the lines are long. The opera season usually runs September through July; the box office is open Monday through Saturday 11:30–6:30 and one hour before curtain call. If you just want to look around inside, you can also buy tickets for a 90-minute guided tour (in French only) for €20.

A lake, a butterfly garden, a bonsai pavillion, and seasonal displays of blooms make the Bois de Vincennes's 70-acre floral park a lovely place to spend a warm afternoon. Kids will also enjoy the extensive playgrounds and the marionette (guignol) theater. A café and a sit-down tea salon make dining easy, but picnicking under the trees is highly recommended, especially when the park hosts jazz and classical concerts (most weekends from June through September). In winter months, some attractions may be closed.